Upload
evangeline-sherman
View
221
Download
1
Tags:
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
■
1970sNixon, Ford, Carter
The Presidency of Richard Nixon■By the late 1960s, citizens had seen enough
turmoil in U.S. foreign & domestic affairs:–The economic boom of the 1950s &
1960s was starting to come to an end–American prestige in the world was
damaged by the failure in Vietnam–Anti-war protests, “hippie” culture, &
liberal gov’t programs led many citizens to believe that America was headed for moral decay & economic collapse
The Election of Richard NixonIn 1968, Americans elected
conservative Republican Richard Nixon
Nixon’s victory in 1968 was due to the turnout of a “silent majority” who wanted
a more conservative gov’t
Richard Nixon & Domestic PolicyAs a conservative, Nixon believed in a limited role for the
national gov’t He tried to reduce or eliminate many Great
Society programs He gave states more
control over how money for welfare
programs was spent
Richard Nixon & Domestic Policy By the late 1960s, the South was becoming
more conservative due to new military bases & corporate headquarters, the relocation of
retirees, & frustration by whites over civil rights
Nixon seized the opportunity to attract Southerners to the Republican Party by
opposing new civil rights policies & cutting government spending
Richard Nixon & Foreign PolicyPresident Nixon
successfully changed U.S. foreign policy
Instead of using containment to fight
Communism & increase Cold War tensions,
Nixon created a policy of détentedétente (to ease tensions)
with America’s Cold War enemies
The Presidency of Richard NixonPresident Nixon
successfully changed U.S. foreign policy
President Nixon & aide Henry Kissinger
used a strategy called triangular
diplomacy to improve America’s role in the world
Richard Nixon & Foreign PolicyNixon’s foreign policy included “peace with honor” in Vietnam
Nixon discussed plans for “Vietnamization”
but secretly bombed Cambodia & Laos in 1970
In 1973, Nixon negotiated a cease fire, withdrew U.S. troops, & ended the Vietnam War
Richard Nixon & Foreign PolicyNixon’s foreign policy
included better relations with China
In 1972, Nixon became the 1st president to
visit & recognize China Nixon’s visit allowed for the possibility of U.S. trade with China
Nixon’s visit to China was also meant to
exploit a growing rift between USSR & China;
Now the USSR had to cooperate with the U.S.
Richard Nixon & Foreign PolicyNixon’s détente policy was aimed at easing Cold War tensions
with the USSR
By visiting China, Nixon pressured
Soviet leader Brezhnev to
negotiate with the United States
In 1972, Nixon became the 1st
president to visit Moscow;
His visit led to the Strategic Arms Strategic Arms Limitation TalksLimitation Talks
(SALT) to limit ICBMs
The Presidency of Richard Nixon■Nixon was a popular president by the
end of his 1st term–His domestic policies reduced gov’t
spending & revitalized middle-class, conservative, & Southern voters
–His foreign policies led to the end of an unpopular war in Vietnam & eased tensions with America’s two biggest Cold War rivals
■In 1972, Nixon won one of the biggest landslide victories in presidential history
But after Nixon’s re-election in 1972, the Watergate scandal broke; President Nixon
resigned in 1974 rather than face impeachment
Watergate: A Crisis of Democracy
The Watergate Scandal ■In 1972, a break-in at Democratic
candidate George McGovern’s headquarters revealed a well-funded plan of espionage & sabotage by the Committee to Re-Elect the President (CREEP)
■The Watergate cover-up led to Nixon’s resignation & a changed American perception of the gov’t & the role of the media
The Watergate Scandal
Visit the following link for an overview of the
Watergate scandal
Washington Post Overview
The Watergate Complex
Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein of the Washington Post broke the Watergate story
Their investigation revealed…
The Burglars
Formation of the “Plumbers”
“All the President's Men”
Daniel Ellsberg’s Pentagon Papers
Nixon’s Enemies List■Jane Fonda
■Paul Newman
■Edward Kennedy
■Joe Namath
■Daniel Schorr
■Bill Cosby
■Several 100 more U.S. citizens
The Watergate Scandal■The Watergate scandal began to
unravel in 1973:–The discovery that Nixon
recorded conversations proved most damning
–The Supreme Court ordered Nixon to turn over all tapes to a Senate investigative committee
–The House brought 3 articles of impeachment against president
Obstruction of justice
Abuse of power Contempt of Congress
Due largely to Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein
Stonewalling
The Watergate Scandal■Impact of the Watergate scandal:
–26 members of Nixon’s administration were sent to jail
–The press began to be seen as a “watchdog” over the gov’t
–An independent judiciary branch was vital to protect individual freedom & national interests
–Power shifted from the president to Congress
Teddy Roosevelt began the trend of a stronger president than Congress; a trend that continued
throughout the 20th century until Nixon
After Nixon, Congress enacted campaign finance reform, made it easier for the Justice
Dept to investigate the Executive Branch, took back some control of the federal budget,
passed the Freedom of Information Act, & reigned in CIA covert operations
Conclusions: Politics After Watergate
■The Watergate scandal eroded public trust in their own gov’t
■The growing tension between president & Congress prevented strong, effective leadership from meeting foreign & domestic problems in the 1970s
■The discontent of the 1960s & 1970s revealed an America at war with itself
Crash Course USH 41
Closure Activity: Reviewing U.S. Containment Policy
■Review the Cold War containment policies of the United States from 1945 to 1973
■List the Cold War events of each president–Harry Truman (1945-1953)–Dwight Eisenhower (1953-1961)–John F Kennedy (1961-1963)–Lyndon Johnson (1963-1969)–Richard Nixon (1969-1974)
■Rank these presidents from most effective (#1) “Cold Warrior” to least effective (#5)
America from 1974 to 1980■ In the late 70s, the U.S. was “overextended”
–Americans distrusted their government as a result of Vietnam & Watergate
–The economy had entered a recession with high unemployment & inflation
–A decline in America’s status in the world–A series of presidents (Ford & Carter)
that failed to inspire a sense of hope among the American people
President Gerald FordWhen Nixon resigned
in 1974, VP Gerald Ford became president
Ford was seen as an “honest man” & hoped to move America past the Watergate scandalBut, Ford was unable to move forward due to constant questions
about a potential criminal trial of Nixon
In September 1974, Ford pardoned Nixon of any crimes related
to Watergate; Ford lost popular support
Another issue during Ford’s presidency was a growing economic recession
Since the early 1970s, the economy had grown stagnant with few new jobs or business profits
Inflation, interest rates, & unemployment were
all on the riseStagnant economy High inflationTogether, a stagnant economy & high inflation are known as:
STAGFLATION
President Gerald FordMaking the economic situation worse
was the oil crisis of the 1970sSince “automania”
of the 1950s, U.S. use of oil was on the riseIn 1960, the oil rich
nations in the Middle East & Latin America
formed the Org of Petroleum Exporting
Countries (OPEC)
President Gerald FordMaking the economic
situation worse was the oil crisis of the 1970s
In retaliation for American support of
Israel, OPEC cut off oil to the U.S. in 1973
As a result, gas prices soared &
shortages led to long lines for gasoline
President Jimmy CarterFord had no answer
for stagflation or the gas crisis &
was challenged by Georgia Democrat
Jimmy Carter in the 1976 election
Carter ran as an “outsider” who
played no part in Vietnam, Watergate,
or the recession
President Jimmy CarterIn the 1976 election, Carter beat Ford
Carter & Domestic PolicyAs president, Carter tried to attack the energy
crisis, stagflation, & the recessionNone of his efforts worked:
Inflation hit 14%, interest rates neared 20%, & a new oil embargo in 1979 increased gas prices
Carter & Foreign PolicyCarter entered office committed to making
“human rights” the basis of U.S. foreign policy
Carter stopped supporting foreign governments that
violated human rightsIn 1977, Carter agreed that the U.S. would return the Panama Canal in Dec 1999
Carter hoped to gain peace in the Middle East between Israel & the Muslim nations
1973 Yom Kippur War between Egypt and Syria against Israel
Since its creation in 1947, Israel was attacked by its Muslim neighbors in the 1940s, 1960s, & 1970s
By the 1970s, Egypt appeared ready to recognize Israel in exchange for the return of land in the Sinai Peninsula
Carter & Foreign PolicyCarter brought Egyptian leader Anwar el-Sadat & Israeli leader Menachem Begin to the U.S.
for the Camp David Accords in 1977?
?
Israel agreed to Israel agreed to leave the leave the
Sinai Peninsula Sinai Peninsula
Egypt recognized Egypt recognized Israel’s right toIsrael’s right to
exist
Carter did the Carter did the impossibleimpossible
Carter & Foreign PolicyBut, the situation in the Middle East got worse
in 1979 when fundamentalist Islamic cleric Ayatollah Khomeini led the Iranian Revolution
Carter & Foreign PolicyIranians seized the U.S. embassy & captured 52 American hostages (Iranian Hostage Crisis)
Carter tried negotiation, economic threats, & a rescue missionrescue mission to return the hostages but all efforts failed
The 52 hostages were held for 444 days
Carter & Foreign PolicyTo make matters worse,
the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979 to defeat an
anti-communist uprising
The invasion signaled an end to Nixon’s détente
with the USSR as the United States sent aid to the Afghan rebels
The Election of 1980By 1980, Carter had been unable to end
stagflation, free the U.S. hostages in Iran, or restore America’s place in the world
In the election of 1980, Americans in search of answers elected Ronald Reagan as president
A Mother’s Love
• Lillian Carter, Jimmy’s Mother
• When asked by a reporter on Inauguration Day if she was proud of her son, her reply was “Which one?”
• “Sometimes when I look at my children, I say, ‘Lillian, you should have stayed a virgin.’”
Crash Course USH 42
Conclusions■By 1980, the USA seemed to be losing its
place as the top nation in the world:–The 1970s presented failures in the Cold
War & new problems in the Middle East–The social protests & counter culture
seemed to divide liberals & conservatives–Stagflation & the economic recession
were growing worse, not better –The failures of Johnson, Nixon, Ford, &
Carter left citizens in search of optimism, strong leadership, & conservative policies